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Allionia incarnata
Allionia incarnata L.
Trailing Windmills, Trailing Four O'Clock, Pink Windmills, Trailing Allionia
Nyctaginaceae (Four O'clock Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: ALIN
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
The orchid-colored trailing four-o’clock is a vine that grows along the ground; the plant may be 10 feet across. The stems, leaves, and buds are covered with soft white hair. The stems and flowers are sticky, and one rarely finds a flower without grains of sand stuck on the upper surface. Technically, what appears to be 1 flower is a cluster of 3 resembling a single radially symmetrical flower but no one but a trained botanist would ever guess it.
The flowers remain open most of the day, not just in the evening as suggested by the name. The other species, Smooth Trailing Four-o'clock (A. choisyi), from Arizona to Texas and southward, has a perianth 3/16 of an inch (5 mm) long or less, and the curved edges of the fruit each bear 5-8 slender, gland-tipped teeth.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Herb
Fruit Type: Accessory
Size Notes: Stems procumbent, up to about 5 feet long.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: Pink , PurpleBloom Time: Jan , Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov , Dec
Bloom Notes: Primary flowering time is spring through fall, but may flower year-round.
Distribution
USA: AZ , CA , CO , NM , NV , OK , TX , UTNative Distribution: Southeastern California to southern Utah and Colorado; south to Texas, Mexico, and beyond.
Native Habitat: Dry gravelly or sandy soils in sun.
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Sibley Nature Center - Midland, TX
Bibliography
Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. LoughmillerBibref 328 - Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.
Search More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) CalfloraWebref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Allionia incarnata in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Allionia incarnata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Allionia incarnata
Metadata
Record Modified: 2022-11-04Research By: TWC Staff